Killzone 2

This is a first-person shooter in which players are members of an elite military unit whose mission is to quell an intergalactic threat and disarm a stockpile of seized nuclear weapons. Combat is frequent and fast-paced, as players use a variety of firearms (rifles, machine guns, and shotguns) and explosives (grenades and rocket launcher) to kill enemy soldiers. Red blood spray emits from enemy soldiers when shot, and weapons such as sniper rifles and shotguns can be used to decapitate them. Post-mortem damage can be inflicted on soldiers' bodies, resulting in pools of blood on the ground. During one cutscene, a gravely wounded character retrieves a pistol and shoots himself in the head. The game contains strong profanity (e.g., "f word," "sh*t," "a**hole") in the dialogue.

Throughout the campaign, players will encounter lifelike and adaptable artificial intelligence (A.I.) from enemies as well as fellow soldiers, destructible environments, and stunningly detailed scenery. Additionally, players will be tasked with utilizing a host of new weapons and vehicles in the war to stop the Helghast. Featuring an extensive single-player campaign and thrilling multi-player mode, Killzone 2 delivers a host of new gameplay elements and an intense storyline that will once again drive gamers to join the ranks of the ISA and fight the Helghast…this time on the enemy’s home planet.

Two years after the Helghast assault on Vekta, the ISA is taking the fight to the enemy’s home world of Helghan. The ISA goal is direct: capture the Helghast leader, Emperor Visari, and bring the Helghast war machine to a halt. Assuming the role of Sev, a battle-hardened veteran and a member of the special forces unit known as the Legion, players will lead a group of highly trained soldiers on a mission to take out the Helghast threat. For Sev and his squad, the invasion of Helghan is just the beginning. Tasked with securing Pyrrhus, the Capital City, the team quickly discovers that the Helghast are a formidable enemy on their home planet. Not only have they adjusted to the planet’s hostile conditions, they have also harnessed a source of power they can now use against the ISA. Sev discovers his squad isn’t just fighting enemy forces – their fiercest opponent may be the planet itself.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this Spotlight review are those of the reviewer (both ratings and recommendations), and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Eden Communications or the Christian Answers Network.

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sauerfreakJuly 8, 2009

Killzone 2 is easily the most impressive FPS on the PS3, showcasing the true processing power of the Cell Broadband Engine and raising the bar for graphics on consoles. The gameplay is also visceral and intense, with a solid campaign and deep multiplayer rank advancement. To any doubters out there: Just go buy the game, you will enjoy yourselves.

Note: Content-wise…….well, you might want to stick to Halo 3, as it is actually more mild when compared to KZ2. Should be fine for any mature teen though.

ShaunJuly 9, 2009

It looks very Dark though, and if I’m not mistaken blood splats on walls when you make a kill.

I would argue that many games are much more violent than Killzone 2, such as Gears of War and Resident Evil 5. However, the language is indeed awful. I find it sad that more developers don’t take the time to integrate content filters into their products. Even adults don’t want to hear the F-word several hundred times throughout their game-playthroughs.

FalconfanJuly 25, 2009

I just play online with Speech volume off. Still though the decapitations are a bit much (although they aren’t that common.

MorganAugust 18, 2009

So, I’ve been wanting to purchase this game for a while, but the language is a definate no. Is there a way to mute it all (I mean all, cutscene and gameplay).

FalconfanAugust 19, 2009

Yeah you can turn the speech volume down or off in the options menu it will ruin the story but it works well online

ApolloAugust 28, 2009

Uhh… to those who are offended by the blood and violence. Why by any M game in the first place? You know it’s going to have it. But yet you buy it, then come on here to complain about it. So just don’t buy any M games. Just that simple.

McKrakkanAugust 29, 2009

@Apollo

I agree with you 100%! People come on here and are like "ohhh its so graphics and intense". But they warned you about it on the rating!

SOCOM III had nothing wrong with it, yet they gave every game in the franchise except the 4th one a T-rating.

If it’s M, look at what the game is glorifying. Just because it has something objectionable doesn’t mean the game glorifys it. Look at the movie Iron Man. They showed him as a lady’s man, but then they portray him as a man saved by Grace.

DaCheatNovember 4, 2009

the game is really intense and violent & though there is quite a bit of really realistic looking blood. (i mean that stuff looks real) the actual gore is pretty much kept to a minimum. though the language is a let down. i played it w/ the volume off. supposedly there actually isnt much story to ruin. its mainly just a shooter, and a great one at that. w/ the volume down its still ranks as an M. but it's less violent than half-life, gears of war, and maybe, just maybe halo 3.

QweexelNovember 11, 2009

At what age would you be recommend playing this game, and also: Can you disable the blood anyhow in the options menu?

If it’s any worth for comparison, I’ve played Call of Duty 4, Crysis, and Gears of war, but all of them with the blood off.

TimDecember 17, 2010

To be honest, what annoyed me most about this one is that the player's side seem to be a bunch of mindless, angry thugs with little dimension to them, to the point that it's hard to remember two of the characters in your own squad as more than "the one with the bandana" and "the one with the hat." Like a lot of modern games, the plot just ends abruptly after you've really accomplished nothing more than making the situation worse. The third member of your squad is the worst; he's best described as "unstable" and at one point savagely beats a fellow soldier (seemingly to death), and rarely says anything not involving swearing.

People might deride the old FPSes for their simplistic plots, but it's nice to have a likeable character with a clear, understandable motive who actually acheives something through his actions.

DanielJanuary 30, 2011

Just to put the swearing in context if you're in a real war-zone with people shooting at you and your friends being blown apart by artillery you're not really going to be saying something along the lines of "gosh darn you crazy people". While I think the swearing is completely over the top the swearing in the middle of fight scenes is completely justified in my view as the developers trying to create an authentic war zone

TimMarch 13, 2013

I don't know about that, people also go to the toilet a lot in real life and nobody wants to have "authentic" bathroom breaks. Constant swearing to make scenes "gritty" and "authentic" tends to just make the author look juvenile.

I'm not against reasonable use of bad language in situations where it would make sense, but the guys in this use it in place of punctuation and it just puts you in mind of a 13 year old who's just discovered these words and uses them just because his parents told him not to.

“While I think the swearing is completely over the top the swearing in the middle of fight scenes is completely justified in my view as the developers trying to create an authentic war zone”

I don’t know, they swear so much it doesn’t even seem real. Like when their command ship is going down and they’re just yelling expletives at nothing rather than, say, watching in shocked / respectful silence as you’d expect non-morons to do. Or when a soldier dies and his frustrated comrade has a fight, swears a lot and then punches his coffin for no good reason. It’s like a war movie if all the roles had been filled by drunken thugs.

johnlewis90November 22, 2013

Wow! Great review. The author had made a clear cut review about the game. This is a popular game these days with great graphics and action sequences, which could attract people. Cheers mate. Keep posting.earliest signs of pregnancy

imdanishmehraApril 21, 2015

One of the best game so far by Sony

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